Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound found in some plastic products that some experts fear may be hazardous, although the FDA has deemed products containing BPA to be safe.
BPA is usually found in hard plastic baby bottles, water bottles, hard plastic microwavable cookware, some plastic storage bags and containers and in the linings of aluminum cans.
If you wish to avoid BPA, purchase frozen fruits and vegetables instead of canned, buy your soda or sparking water in bottles, and don’t buy hard plastic containers or baby bottles.
Replace BPA-containing products with these brands that are BPA-free.
Pyrex Microwave Cookware
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Pyrex brand cooking dishes (buy direct) are more like glass, which does not contain BPA, plus the lids are also BPA-free. You can use Pyrex cookware for food storage and it is safe to use in your microwave in place of other hard plastic microwavable cookware that may contain BPA.
Storage Bags and Wrap
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Some storage bags and plastic wrap contain BPA, however both Ziploc brand bags (buy direct) and Saran brand plastic wraps (buy direct) are both BPA-free.
Storage Containers
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Gladware brand plastic containers (buy direct) do not contain BPA and can be used safely to store and transport foods.
Water Pitchers
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Many hard clear plastic water pitchers contain BPA, and so do the large blue water cooler bottles. Brita water pitchers (buy direct) can be used to filter your tap water and they do not contain BPA.
Water Bottles
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The bottles of water you buy in the store do not contain BPA, but the hard, clear reusable water bottles probably do. So if you regularly carry a water bottle around, choose water bottles (buy direct) that do not contain BPA.
Glass Baby Bottles
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Choose glass bottles for your baby. Born Free baby bottles (buy direct) are BPA-free and safe for your little one.
Sippy Cups
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You really can’t use glass for young children just learning to use a cup, so choose sippy cups made without BPA like those by Foogo (buy direct).
Source: Iain A. Lang; Tamara S. Galloway; Alan Scarlett; William E. Henley; Michael Depledge; Robert B. Wallace; David Melzer. “Association of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration With Medical Disorders and Laboratory Abnormalities in Adults.” JAMA. 2008;300(11):1303-1310.
